Play with me
by anakinlove
Summary: Batman finally figures out his neglect of his sidekick and has to fix things.


Batman was running through the streets. He was tracking the notorious Joker through the city. Bank right, run left when suddenly he was down on the ground. Was it some sinister villain come to end his run?

No, it was just his cape, he had tripped over it again. Dick pulled the cape out from under his little foot. This just wasn't working. He would never catch the joker if he kept tripping. He picked up the cape and tied it in a few knots to make it shorter. There, that was better.

The mask slipped off Dick's face. He would have to fix that later, now was the time for Joker catching. Just as he was rounding the corner to jump valiantly into the bat mobile, he heard someone coming down the stairs.

"Robin, Robin where are you?" Robin gulped and ducked behind the batmobile, drawing his cape around him like a true Batman. He silently started to untie the knots he had made, which weren't very good in the first place, hoping Bruce would just search the rest of the manor for him so he could put the suit away.

Bruce pounded down the stairs, looking around casually before glancing over at the case that held his suit. He caught his breath. "Robin", he called angrily, "Robin where's my suit. Richard Grayson get out here this minute."

Robin knew he would be found sooner or later so he decided to make a break for it. Bruce saw the boy as soon as he left the safety of his hiding place, pattering away on his stubby legs and surged after him.

In an open place, catching his young ward would have been no problem for the Batman, but in the cave, there were too many tight corners for him to be able to move through properly. Bruce finally understood what Alfred meant when he said there were too many things cluttering the batcave.

Bruce barreled into several of his vehicles as Dick scooted beneath them and smashed a few precious family heirlooms, which made him wonder why he kept them in the batcave at all.

Robin might have been able to get away from his mentor, or at least tire him out enough to escape punishment, but the cape, which already hindered him while he was walking, wrapped around his short legs, causing him to trip and fall flat on his face, whimpering in pain.

Bruce hauled him by the scruff of the neck and took off the mask, throwing it aside and glaring fiercely at the boy. "Robin", he said angrily, "When I'm done with you, you aren't going to be able to sit down for a week."

Dick started to bawl and between chocked sobs said, "I just wanted to have a little fun, you never play with me, ever." Bruce gave him a harsh look, annoyed that the boy would try to pull that on him.

"Of course I do", said Bruce, "don't try to pull that on me just to escape punishment."

"No you don't" Dick wailed, "name one time."

"I took you to the park just last week", Bruce said triumphantly.

"That was Alfred", Dick cried. Hmm, the boy was right, now he remembered, that had been Alfred.

"I, umm, I…"

Dick cut him off, "You never do anything for me, you just hand me off to Alfred." His sobs intensified, as if he was fighting a battle he was sure he was going to lose.

"I do not", said Bruce indignantly. "I made dinner for you."

"Throwing noodles in a bowel and yelling at Alfred to do the rest does not count as making Mac and cheese."

"Well", said Bruce, thinking he'd finally gotten one, "I took you out to dinner last month, remember that."

"That was only because Alfred was sick and you forgot to buy food. We were the only billionaires in McDonalds and you didn't even let me keep the toy. I had to sit and eat while you worked on your computer with their free WiFi and ignored me."

"Well", said Bruce, "I umm, I…" He had to rack his brains now. There must be something he had done for the boy. "I chased you around Gotham City that one night."

"No", said Robin, "that was the joker, you were chasing him while he was trying to kill me."

"Well", Bruce said lightheartedly, "you had fun didn't you?" Robin just started to cry harder. Then, it dawned on Bruce. Did he really never do anything for the boy? That couldn't be true, but he couldn't think of anything else.

Bruce sat down on a random chair, absentmindedly drawing Dick close to himself. The boy stopped bawling after a few moments, sensing a change in his mentor's mood and trying his best to be forgotten.

"Am I really that horrible of a mentor that I never play with you?" Dick didn't know weather it was better to say yes or no so he just held still and snuggled up to Bruce, feeling a lot better then he had dangling from Bruce's hand.

Bruce casually stroked the boy's soft black hair, almost without noticing he was doing it. Dick liked the feel of his strong hands.

Bruce was deep in thought by this time, but he came back to the present as if snapping out of a trance. "I'm a terrible mentor", he said with an air of finality. Dick didn't know weather it was better to remind him that he was still there or keep silent, but he had a question burning on his lips.

"Am I still in trouble?" he asked cautiously.

"No", said Bruce, "I can't believe it." He lifted the boy up so that they were at the same eye level and said, "You must hate me."

"No I don't", said Dick, "anyway, you would make it all better if you just played with me."

"Really", Bruce asked hopefully. Dick nodded solemnly. "Alright", said Bruce, "I'll make you a deal. If you'll forgive me, I'll make an effort to play with you as much as possible. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes", said Dick, and took Bruce's outstretched hand to shake.

"Now", said Bruce, "What would you like to play?"

"Chase me", said Dick, "you be the Joker, I'll be you." The boy scooted off his mentor's lap and picked up the mask, putting it over his face.

"Alright", said Bruce, "but first lets shorten that cape." He tied a knot in the cape so it no longer wrapped around Dick's legs and started to chase the shrieking eight-year-old year old around the cave, getting thoroughly bruised bumping into things and breaking more expensive vases. Bruce had never had more fun.

Hey everyone, quick authors note. for all of you who like this sort of things, i'm running low on ideas to write about with Batman and Robin. you know, normal childhood problems that can be hightened by the fact that we're dealing with super heroes. if you have any ideas, please PM me.

Sincerly, Anakinlove


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